Modern motor vehicles already often have an air spring system which preferably is used on the rear axle because a level control is possible in a simple manner with the aid of the air spring system. The rear axle of a motor vehicle includes connecting rods having first and second ends. The connecting rods are pivotally suspended on the motor vehicle at the respective first ends thereof. The rear wheels and the rolloff pistons with the flexible members of the air springs associated therewith are arranged in the region of the respective second ends of the connecting rods. The end of the flexible member lying opposite the rolloff piston is attached to the vehicle chassis with the aid of a cover plate. During spring action, the connecting rods are pivoted about their respective suspension points on the motor vehicle so that there is a relative movement between the rear axle and the chassis of the motor vehicle. The rear axle, and therefore the rolloff pistons, move during an action of the spring along a curved path having a radius of curvature substantially pregiven by the length of the connecting rod. During the movement, the rolloff piston plunges into the flexible member assigned thereto and is then pulled out of the flexible member.
The flexible member of the air spring attempts to follow the curved path of the rolloff piston during a relative movement between the rolloff piston and the flexible member of the air spring. For this reason, a lateral offset of the flexible member of the air spring can occur relative to the cover plate with which the flexible member is attached to the chassis of the motor vehicle or a rolling lobe can form which has a non-constant width about its periphery. Stresses form within the flexible member of the air spring because of the lateral offset between the flexible member and the deck plate as well as because of the formation of a rolling lobe which has a non-constant width about its periphery. These stresses of the flexible member of the air spring shorten the service life thereof and therefore also of the air spring per se.